This should motivate you to begin to spread the true Word of God! We need to reach the world with the Gospel, not let cults reach people with false doctrines. It goes to show that people are looking for truth (only to be shown error by the cults,) so we need to be out there evangelizing!

Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormons Fastest-Growing ‘Churches’ in U.S.

“The two fastest-growing church bodies in the United States and Canada, according to a newly published report, are ones whose beliefs are known to conflict with traditional Christian teaching. Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, regarded by many Christians as cults, reported the largest membership increases in a year, according to the National Council of Churches’ 2008 Yearbook of American & Canadian Churches. Although Jehovah’s Witnesses currently rank 25th in size with over 1.06 million members, they reported a 2.25 percent increase in membership since the publication of the 2007 Yearbook. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints – also known as the Mormon church – grew 1.56 percent and is listed by the NCC as the fourth largest ‘church.’ Notably, however, both Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Mormon church are not accepted within many Christian circles as part of the larger Body of Christ over a number of controversial beliefs that the two religions hold. Identification of the former religion as Christian, among other controversies, is debated largely due to their rejection of the Trinity, which most Christians regard as a fundamental doctrine. Latter-day Saints, meanwhile, are often criticized for their belief in ‘divine’ books of scripture, aside from the Bible, including the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price. Mormonism was formally listed under ‘cults and sects’ by the Southern Baptist Convention – the largest Protestant denomination in the nation – but was more recently categorized among ‘newly developed religions’ on the North American Mission Board apologetics page. Other bodies in the newly published top 25 largest churches list that reported membership increases include The Catholic Church with a 0.87 percent increase; the Southern Baptist Convention with a 0.22 percent increase; the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church with a 0.21 percent rise; and the Assemblies of God with a 0.19 percent growth.”

This song is considered too controversial and “politically incorrect” to play on America’s airwaves… but it is EXACTLY what we need to hear right now!

A recent Christian Post article expresses the need for vigilance against “militant atheism.”

2Ti 3:1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
2Ti 3:2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
2Ti 3:3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
2Ti 3:4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
2Ti 3:5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
2Ti 3:6 For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts,
2Ti 3:7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

We need to vigilant to those that would come against the Message of the Gospel, and confidently preach the Word of God to all that we meet!

Apologists Ask Churches to Step Up Response to Militant Atheism

“As more atheist-centered books and movies make their way to mainstream culture, two best-selling Christian apologists are encouraging churches to better equip their congregation to respond to what they call a more outspoken and ‘confident’ atheism. “The arguments are not really new but the ferociousness” with which atheists are lobbing their attacks ‘are coming much stronger,’ Mark Mittelberg, primary author of Becoming a Contagious Christian, said in a teleconference on Tuesday. The teleconference, hosted by Outreach Training, was for pastors who were interested in updating their churches’ apologetics approaches amid an onslaught of pro-atheist books and movies in recent years. Books like Richard Dawkins’ The God Delusion and Christopher Hitchens’ God is Not Great have made best-selling lists. Meanwhile, movies like The Da Vinci Code, The Jesus Family Tomb and The Golden Compass have claimed widespread media attention. These books and movies are not just posing challenges to the basic tenets of the Christian faith, according to Mittelberg, but they are also empowering attacks against Christianity. Lee Strobel, author of the best-selling The Case for Christ, agreed with Mittelberg that many Christians are raised to believe in doctrine but are not adequately taught on why their faith is true or how to support their faith with evidence. ‘Churches need to help them reach out to their friends, colleagues and family members with the good news of Christ’ using data that supports the good news as true, said Strobel, a former atheist. The two apologists recommended that pastors become familiar with both books by atheist authors and those by Christian apologists.”

Alright, you liberal, bleeding heart folks that are so against book burning… can I choose to give anyone a book anywhere I want… if I want to? Now, if they refuse it, fine, but do I have the freedom to offer them a book? Would you take away my right to give someone some reading material?

Well, they have in Missouri. There, I can’t give away a book in a school according to the Missouri Supreme Court. That book, is, of course, the Bible. What is everyone so afraid of? Does the Bible bite? If it is “just another book” with no unique authority in and of itself, why prevent me from giving it out?

School Policy Allowing Bible Distribution Ruled Unconstitutional

“A federal judge has ruled a Missouri school district’s policy permitting Bible distribution unconstitutional, but an attorney representing the district has vowed to appeal. The case against the South Iron School District was filed two years ago by the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of four sets of parents who are Christian. An appeals court ordered the district last August to temporarily halt the handout of Bibles to fifth graders by Gideons International, known for its widespread distribution of the Holy Book in hotels nationwide. The school district in Annapolis then altered its open access policy, permitting Gideons and other groups – including the Red Cross, Missouri Water Patrol, and Girl Scouts – to give away Bibles or other literature before or after school or during lunch, but not in classrooms. But U.S. District Judge Catherine Perry ruled Tuesday that both practices violated the Establishment Clause and granted a permanent injunction against any Bible distributors. In her opinion, she held that both practices are ‘the promotion of Christianity by distributing Bibles to elementary school students.’ ‘The policy has the principle or primary effect of advancing religion by conveying a message of endorsement to elementary school children,’ she wrote. Although Christian, the parents who sued believe religious beliefs should be taught in the home, not school, said Anthony Rothert, legal director of the ACLU of Eastern Missouri, according to The Associated Press.”

Obviously, the Bible stirs up such ire specifically because it IS the Word of God and IS full of His authority! I would suggest that the Gideons stand just outside school grounds and give out their Bibles ANYWAY!

Happy Birthday, Jesus! Remember that we are celebrating Jesus’ birthday! Christmas is “Christ Mass,” a celebration of His birthday! So, as you enjoy family, friends, and giving and receiving presents… remember the TRUE reason for this special season!

Wow! This is a great article demonstrating just how bad this movie and series is! Check out the article through this link:

The Golden Compass—Pointing Children in the Wrong Direction

Consider the collective impact of the following points taken from interviews and quotes from the series and by Mr. Pullman himself:

THE FALL IN THE GARDEN OF EDEN

* It is considered a positive step towards enlightenment and the improvement of life. It is a central theme of the trilogy. Lyra and Will (the two main characters) represent Adam and Eve, whose temptation was their love for each other.

* In a recent interview[1], Mr. Pullman states, “…the Satan figure is Mary Malone, not Lord Asriel and the temptation is wholly beneficent. She tells her story about how she fell in love, which gives Lyra the clue as to how to express what she’s now beginning to feel about Will, and when it happens, they both understand what’s going on and are tempted and they…fall—but it’s a fall into grace, towards wisdom, not something that leads to sin, death, misery, hell and Christianity.”

* In another recent interview[2], Mr. Pullman says, “…The thrust of the story, the sympathy of the story if you like, seems to be with the side that many traditionally minded Christians in particular have thought to be the wrong side. The general theme, the general gist of the whole book is that the famous story of the Temptation in the Garden of Eden and the Fall of Man so-called, when Eve gave way to the temptation to eat the fruit of knowledge and tempted Adam to eat it as well, that this traditionally [has] been presented as being a very bad thing and Eve was very wicked and we all got covered in sorrow and sin and misery from then on as a result of this…well, I just reversed that, I thought wasn’t it a good thing that Eve did, isn’t curiosity a valuable quality? Shouldn’t she be praised for risking this? It wasn’t after all, that she was after money or gold or anything, she was after knowledge. What could possibly be wrong with that?”

* In a speech[3], Pullman states “We don’t need lists of rights and wrongs, tables of do’s and don’ts: we need books, time and silence. ‘Thou shalt not’ is soon forgotten but ‘Once upon a time’ lasts forever.”

* ‘Wisdom isn’t gained from God but from experience and making your own choices.” [3]

THE CHARACTER CALLED GOD IS THE ENEMY

* In The Amber Spyglass[4], it reads: “The Authority, god, the Creator, the Lord, Yahweh, El, Adonai, the King, The Father the Almighty—those were all names he gave himself. He was never the creator. He was an angel like ourselves—the first angel, true, the most powerful…The Authority was the first of all. He told those who came after him that he had created them, but it was a lie.”

THE REPUBLIC OF HEAVEN

* Mr. Pullman says[5], “We’re used to the kingdom of heaven; but you can tell from the general thrust of the book that I’m of the devil’s party, like Milton. And I think it’s time we thought about a republic of heaven instead of the kingdom of heaven. The king is dead. That’s to say I believe that the king is dead. I’m an atheist. But we need heaven nonetheless, we need all the things that heaven meant, we need joy, we need a sense of meaning and purpose in our lives, we need a connection with the universe, we need all the things that the kingdom of heaven used to promise us but failed to deliver. And furthermore we need it in this world where we do exist not elsewhere, because there ain’t no elsewhere.”

* In yet another interview[6], Mr. Pullman says, “The republic of heaven…stands for a sense of community. It stands for joy. It stands for a sense that the universe and we together have a common meaning and a common destiny and a purpose…I don’t want to do without heaven, but I can no longer believe in a kingdom of heaven, so there must be a republic of heaven of which we are free and equal citizens—and it’s our duty to promote and preserve this.”

* This philosophy is promoted by the main character, Lyra, who speaks of the Republic of Heaven[7]: “‘We have to be all those difficult things like cheerful and kind and curious and patient, and we’ve got to study and think and work hard, all of us, in all our different worlds, and then we’ll build….’ ‘And then what?’ said her daemon sleepily. ‘Build what?’ ‘The Republic of Heaven,’ said Lyra.”

* When asked about Jesus’ statement[1] “Unless you become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” Mr. Pullman responded, “He wasn’t right all the time.”

THE NAME OF THE TRILOGY, “HIS DARK MATERIALS” IS DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSED TO THE WORD OF GOD

* Everything in this universe is made up of light at its core. When God said, “Light Be” (Genesis 1) it was! God is light and there is no darkness in Him at all. We are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness; we are not practicing the truth (1 John 1:5-8). We are children of the light. Darkness does not comprehend us.

THE CHURCH IS ESTABLISHED AS THE ENEMY, AS ARE THE PARENTS

* The main characters are hunted, kidnapped by the “Church.” They seek to destroy Lyra and Will and others.

THE SOUL OF LYRA AND OTHER CHARACTERS EXIST OUTSIDE THEIR BODIES IN ANIMALS CALLED “DAEMONS”

* The dictionary defines daemon as “a spirit, evil spirit, demon.”

* On Philip Pullman’s official Web site[8] he states, “…readers have told me that the daemons which at first seem so utterly fantastic soon become so familiar and essential a part of each character that they, the readers, feel as if they’ve got a daemon themselves. And my point is that they have, that we all have. It’s an aspect of our personality that we often overlook but it’s there.”

* BBC Radio 3 interview[9]…the daemon is conceived of as being the gift of the rebel angels. Now in the course of the myth, the rebel angels are on the side of right and decency and goodness and consciousness, and all these things. [T]he rebel angels…gave to the beings in each world who were evolving, a gift that would help them understand themselves and become wise. In some worlds, they gave them a daemon.

* The Golden Compass Movie Web site[10] states in a character summation that, “In Lyra’s world, a person’s soul lives on the outside of their body in the form of a daemon—a talking animal spirit that accompanies them through life, always close to it’s corporeal half. In a description of daemons, they say that in our world it is possible that people have daemons as well, only they are invisible. You can create your own daemon avatar to take into the world with you by selecting “meet your daemon” on the Web site.

THE CULMINATION OF THIS SERIES IS THE DEATH OF “GOD”

* With his death, society is freed from control, and the main characters are able to be free from danger and from a “king.”

Consider the message sent: God is the enemy; the church is a dangerous enemy and a big mistake; the most mature and enlightened thing you can do is to disregard authority (include parents in that); fallen angels are the good guys; your “daemon” will speak to you from outside of your body and God is dead. This is mind-altering stuff at 9, 10 and 11 years old. When a child reads or watches this type of demonic message, it will influence the thought processes and the heart toward God you have worked so hard to develop by prayer and discipline. Seeds will be planted that may not show up for years to come. But they will produce a harvest.

It is God’s harvest and His plan for this generation that is at stake. He desires a people holy unto Himself. At the 2007 Southwest Believers’ Convention, the Word of the Lord came to Kenneth Copeland regarding His plan for them. Read it carefully (I’ve edited it somewhat for brevity. The entire prophecy can be found at www.kcm.org).

“There is a generation,” saith the Lord, “that’s being raised up and even has already come on the scene. A generation that believes the Word; a generation that will exchange their thoughts for God’s thoughts: a generation that will believe who they are in Christ Jesus and who they are walking in the power and in the life of God…We know we’re children of God. We know we’re born of God, we know we are bone of His bone and spirit of His spirit. We know that He dwells within us; we know that His commandment is life everlasting. We know that His Word is alive and we know in whom we have believed. And we look like Him and we talk like Him and we act like Him…”

God is calling this generation to a place in Him we’ve never known before, to walk in such a degree of obedience that their very thoughts are exchanged for those of God. He says they’ve already come on the scene! The Superkids at Eagle Mountain International Church are truly walking in this prophecy, and there are thousands more like them around the world. In The Amplified Bible, Isaiah 55:7-9 says, “Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return to the Lord, and He will have love, pity, and mercy for him, and to our God, for He will multiply to him His abundant pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.”

People read this as though God is saying, “too bad, you can’t have My thoughts; they are too high for you.” No! He is saying in verse 7 to forsake your own way and thoughts, and let Him take over! Isaiah 55:11-13 tells us that His thoughts (Word) go forth out of His mouth and according to verses 12 and 13 they produce THE BLESSING!

We call it “The Sweet Life” at Superkid Academy. God makes things work for you and He turns rough places into victories. You can only live in THE BLESSING when you walk in obedience and take His thoughts as your own. He isn’t holding them back from you. He has freely given you His Word so you can walk out His plan for your life. Romans 8:28 says it clearly, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to His purpose.”

It’s a privilege to teach and train children who desire to obey God and choose His way and not their own. They are mighty upon the earth already, but as parents and grandparents, even our imagination can’t fathom THE BLESSING this generation of young believers will experience (see 1 Corinthians 2:9). They are so in love with Him that being obedient is the only choice.

The call on us as ministers and parents is to protect that love and teach them to walk in THE BLESSING! We must pay attention to what they put before their eyes. It is our duty to say “no” when they ask to go to a movie, read books or fill their minds with things that are in opposition to God. It is OK for them to be the only person in their class who haven’t seen The Golden Compass.

I encourage you to go online and do the research for yourself. Sit down with your children and talk with them. Inspire your children by reminding them frequently of the amazing plan God has in store. Teach them of His faithfulness. Teach them about THE BLESSING!

We are on the brink of a mighty move of God in this generation. They don’t settle for less than God’s best for them. They’ve exchanged their thoughts for God’s thoughts. They are bold to stand out. They are ordinary kids doing extraordinary things through the power of God’s Word. This is who they are.

I refuse to be silent and let Satan control their destiny in the name of entertainment. We are God’s people and we live to please Him! (Philippians 2:12-13, New Living Translation)

The boycott that many Christian leaders have asked for is working! “The Golden Compass” opened to a low turnout this past weekend!

Boycott Credited for ‘Golden Compass’ Lackluster Opening

“The lackluster opening of the controversial movie “The Golden Compass” has some media outlets reporting that a Christian-organized boycott of the film seems to be working. Splashing news headlines for controversy over its anti-religious themes, the fantasy film debuted at the box office last Friday, taking in an estimated $26.1 million from markets in United States and Canada. That amount falls short of the $30 million to $40 million that had been expected. Rolf Mittweg of New Line Cinema, which released ‘Compass,’ concedes that the religion controversy ‘might have had an effect,’ reported USA Today. But Mittweg said he didn’t think such controversy would historically last and noted that the controversy did little to deter the film’s performance internationally – grossing $55 million in 25 territories. The Catholic League, however, is claiming victory after being criticized by the media for boycott efforts, which many thought would have a reverse effect and attract more people to see the film. Bill Donohue, president of the Catholic League, pointed out that the $180 million budget movie took in much less than the $65.5 million grossed by ‘The Chronicles of Narnia’ in its opening weekend and also failed to beat the $33.3 million box office debut of ‘Enchanted,’ a recently released Disney movie. He insisted Monday that ‘the inescapable conclusion is that our boycott worked.’”

Keep up the great work!

First, let me say that if you have not heard Mitt Romney’s speech, do go listen to it. As I write this, I have just listened to it from beginning to end. And, as I write this, it is displayed on the main page of his web site… as time passes, you may have to search for it on his site. Here is a link to his site:

Mitt Romney Web Site

Now, understand, I am not going to endorse ANYONE for President… in fact, I haven’t made up my mind yet. I am prayerfully considering who I will vote for, and I will most certainly vote! That is a right that we have in this great country that was purchased with the blood of many good men and women. I take it very seriously.

BUT, as you know if you have read this blog for any length of time… what I take MOST seriously is my faith, the Word of God (as found in the original texts of the Bible) and my commitment to God and His Son, Jesus Christ! THAT defines me, more than anything else. I KNOW the Bible is the Word of God… not some other book, or books. When it comes to allowing others to worship as they will, or believe as they will, I am all for their having freedom to do just that. That really IS what “Freedom of Religion” is about! So much today is expressed more as “Freedom FROM Religion!” THAT is not what the Founding Fathers of America meant. As Gov. Romney pointed out in his speech, they had many different denominations represented in their early meetings as well, and yet came together to found our great nation.

However, freedom to believe as we will does mean that when Jesus says of Himself, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (John 14:6) He means just what He says. Jesus is the ONLY way… no one comes to the Father God, but by Jesus. I believe, as the Gospel teaches, that there are NOT “many ways to get to God” but there is only One! And He is Jesus Christ. I am free to believe that. I am also free to do what He said to do, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.” (Mark 16:14-18) I am constrained by my belief and acceptance of the truth and validity of the Bible to do as it says. I will speak, I will preach, I will “go ye.” Now, my commitment to “go ye” does not mean that you MUST believe what I preach… just that I must preach it! You are just as free to not receive as you are to receive. Obviously, from my perspective, it would be better for you if you did receive the Word of God and get born again. But if you choose to be one of the ones that hear, and yet do not believe, well, so be it! I have fulfilled my mandate to “go ye.” In the above verse, Jesus is clear about this point, “… he that believeth not shall be damned.” You may not like that He said that, but He did. You may not like that He said that He was the only way, but He did.

So then, Jesus can’t be “just a good man and great teacher” and still have the truth of the above scripture references be true. If all He was was a “good man and great teacher” and He said that… then He lied, and He was neither. BUT, if what He said is NOT a lie… then He IS the only way, and you must do something with that claim! He can’t just be “one of your great prophets,” or “one of the great teachers of humanity,” indeed, He MUST be dealt with on His own terms, by His own teachings! He said that He was God. Look at this portion of scripture from John 10:24-31:

John 10:24 Then came the Jews round about him, and said unto him, How long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly.
John 10:25 Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father’s name, they bear witness of me.
John 10:26 But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you.
John 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
John 10:28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
John 10:29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.
John 10:30 I and my Father are one.
John 10:31 Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him.

Why do you think the Jewish Leaders “took up stones again to stone him?” Because they knew and understood EXACTLY what it was Jesus had said to them… “I and My Father are One!” In other words, “I am God.” They believed it was blasphemy… and in fact, it WOULD have been, if He is not Who He claims to be! So, He is either the Son of God, God in flesh, or he is a blaspheming liar! Who do YOU say that He is?

Mitt Romney said in his speech that he believes Jesus Christ is God’s Son. That is great… BUT, the scripture in James 2:19 says, “Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.” The difference is WHAT do you believe ABOUT Him? Being born again depends on you believing certain specific things ABOUT Jesus. What are they? You must believe that God is… that He exists. (Hebrews 11:6, “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” You must believe that God rewards those that seek Him. You must, specifically, believe what Romans 10:8-10 says:

Rom 10:8 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;
Rom 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
Rom 10:10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Rom 10:11 For the Scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
Rom 10:12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.
Rom 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

You MUST confess, personally, with your own mouth, that Jesus is the Lord of your life. You must believe that our Father God physically raised Him from the dead. Jesus’ resurrection was not some allegory, or great spiritual expression of truth. It is, and was, a literal historic fact. He was dead. God literally raised Him up. He is now alive forevermore. That is not an optional belief… it is vital and necessary, just like the other items listed above. Jesus is not “one of many.” He is the ONLY ONE! Mohammad is not a substitute, Joseph Smith is not a substitute, Buddha is not a substitute. ONLY Jesus is the “Way, the Truth and the Life.”

As to other doctrines… yes, in order to say that you believe in God, and His Holy Word, there are other things that you MUST needs believe to be a true, Bible believing Christian. Among those doctrines are: the literal Virgin Birth of Jesus (without His being born of a virgin, He would not have been qualified to bear all our sin, as He would have “inherited” the sin passed down by Adam.) Matthew 1:23, “Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.” And that was quoting from the Old Testament reference, Isaiah 7:14, “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” So, again, did God lie, or is this a literal truth? It is, in fact, a literal truth! The mechanism that God used to come in the flesh to earth was by means of the Word of God… God Himself, becoming flesh…

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
John 1:2 The same was in the beginning with God.
John 1:3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
John 1:4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

The Word was God. All things were made by God, who is the Word. And finally:

John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
John 1:15 John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me.
John 1:16 And of his fullness have all we received, and grace for grace.
John 1:17 For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
John 1:18 No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.
John 1:19 And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou?
John 1:20 And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ.
John 1:21 And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elijah? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that Prophet? And he answered, No.
John 1:22 Then said they unto him, Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself?
John 1:23 He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Isaiah.
John 1:24 And they which were sent were of the Pharisees.
John 1:25 And they asked him, and said unto him, Why baptizest thou then, if thou be not that Christ, nor Elijah, neither that prophet?
John 1:26 John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not;
John 1:27 He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe’s latchet I am not worthy to unloose.
John 1:28 These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing.
John 1:29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
John 1:30 This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me.
John 1:31 And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water.
John 1:32 And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him.
John 1:33 And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.
John 1:34 And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.
John 1:35 Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples;
John 1:36 And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!

Jesus is the Word made flesh, Jesus is God, Jesus was literally born of a virgin and raised from the dead, and now sits at the Father’s right hand making intercession for us! Romans 8:34, “Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.” So, these things are facts that must be dealt with. Every person must decide what they are going to do with these facts. They will either accept them or reject them, and they are free to do so!

Now, back to Mitt Romney… he says that he strongly believes in what the Mormon religion teaches… here is a synopsis of their belief in reference to some of the above truths:

Now, you have the facts. Now, you can decide. Not decide who you want for President, but rather, whether Mormon teaching is “just another Christian church.” It is very different.

Here’s our recent Spirit of Faith Podcast on this topic:

Download MP3
(Right-Click on the Link Above and Choose “Save” to Save the MP3 file locally on your PC.)

The article at the link below is excellent! It is by a Youth Minister. I wish every believer would read and understand the issues behind the controversy involving this movie. It is not a case of simple “entertainment!”

The Real Golden Compass

“Think of it as the ‘anti-Narnia’ story, if you will. At least I get that vibe from the Golden Compass author Philip Pullman when he states:

‘I hate the Narnia books, and I hate them with a deep and bitter passion.’

What do you think? Did you pick up any message from that subtle statement (which is incredibly ironic since he borrows a significant amount of imagery and plot points from The Chronicles of Narnia for his books)?

Let’s see … the Golden Compass introduces us to Lucy Lyra, who eventually hides in a wardrobe. There’s an alternate world with witches and talking animals and final battles (oh my!). So in other words, he hates the Narnia series with a ‘deep and bitter passion,’ but he was happy to borrow some of the critical elements that make it such a compelling series.

Well, isn’t that special!

What isn’t so special is the apparent dishonesty coming of out the film’s promoters and the author himself. Here’s a small sample:

From Pullman’s web site: ‘The meaning of a story emerges in the meeting between the words on the page and thoughts in the reader’s mind. So when people ask me what I meant by this story, or what was the message I was trying to convey in that one, I have to explain that I’m not going to explain. Anyway, I’m not in the message business; I’m in the ‘Once upon a time’ business.’

Fair enough, except the ‘once upon a time’ actually has clear ‘messages’ from characters in the story like these:

‘The Christian religion is a very powerful and convincing mistake, that’s all.’

‘Every church is the same: control, destroy, obliterate every good feeling.’

And the most telling statement of all from Pullman:

‘My books are about killing God.’

I don’t know about you, but when I think ‘good children’s stories,’ ‘killing God’ ranks right up there with what I look for. (Aside: Sarcasm, obviously!)

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a boycott type person. In fact, I’m not even against this movie coming out. It’s a free country with (mostly) free speech as a fundamental right. And I’m not blind enough to ignore that many forms of established religion are incredibly oppressive, and the name of ‘God’ has been used to justify unspeakable evil. My problem lies much more with the obvious dishonesty going on here – as I hope you’re picking up on…”

Well, the author of the article may not be a “boycott person,” but I am! Vote with your wallet! Do not go see this movie, and spread the word to boycott it!

This (the link below) is a story about Mormons and the Bible, and how Mitt Romney, trying to appeal to evangelical Christians (as if there were any other kind) said that the Bible is inerrant. The article states that though the Mormons “respect” the Bible… they believe that it does have errors, and they believe that the Book of Mormon, and other books are “just as inspired” as the Bible.

Mormons and the Bible, Every Word

“LDS.org, an official Web site of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, notes: ‘Latter-day Saints revere the Bible. They study it and believe it to be the word of God. However, they do not believe the Bible, as it is currently available, is without error.’ ‘As the Bible was compiled, organized, translated and transcribed, many errors entered the text,’ the site says, adding at another point: ‘In addition to the Bible, Latter-day Saints reverence and study the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, the Pearl of Great Price and the words of modern prophets and apostles. All these sources of eternal truth work together to establish, clarify and testify of the plan of our Heavenly Father and to bring people unto Jesus Christ.’”

The Bible IS the Word of God, and as God delivered it, it is without error. (By that I mean that there are translations, and especially, paraphrases, that have the translator’s ideas interjected into it. I am not talking about those.) There is no other book, or guide, for spiritual truth and spiritual enrichment other than the Bible!

So, the press can drone on, politicians can try to “position” themselves, and pseudo-Christian cults can say that the Bible is flawed and that there are other books… but God’s Word is true!